Food Deprivation in Triatoma pallidipennis Increases the Expression of α-Tubulin, β-Actin, and a Heat Shock Protein in the Anterior Midgut

Food deprivation induces intestinal adaptations in Triatoma pallidipennis, a hematophagous insect with intermittent feeding habits. The ability to survive long periods without food promotes the persistence of this vector in the environment and contributes to its evolutionary success. This study employed one- and two-dimensional electrophoretic techniques combined with Western blot to evaluate the abundance of α-tubulin, β-actin, and the heat shock protein HSP70. These proteins were more abundant in the anterior midgut tissue of unfed insects than in that of fed insects. As these responses were similar in females and males, the observed adaptations primarily depend on feeding status and intestinal region. These findings provide further insight into the intestinal physiology of T. pallidipennis, a vector of the flagellate parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease.